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Softball: Ballard Steadies Southside

For four years, Kylie Ballard has been a steady hand for the Southside softball team.

Ballard’s bat has been an offensive force at the plate and her dependable glove in the field has made her a rock-solid presence for the Lady Rebels.

“She does a lot for us offensively and defensively,” Southside coach Cassy Story said. “And as a senior, we couldn’t ask for a better leader. The other girls look up to her and she sets a good example with practice and attitude, whatever we need.”

Ballard has been batting in the No. 2 spot in the order where she is hitting .368 with a .455 on-base percentage. In the field, Ballard hasn’t made a fielding error all year at second base in 32 chances.

“She has good stats, but she does all the stuff that doesn’t show up in the stats,” Story said. “I know I don’t have to worry about Kylie, she is going to do the right thing for the team. She does a lot of stuff like bunting, or hitting the ball to the other side to move the runner over.”

Ballard started playing softball as a 4-year-old at Andrews Field. Her team was coached by her father, Brandy Ballard.

“I remember I hated softball at first,” Ballard said. “I was playing third base and just goofing off and not paying attention when a line drive hit me right in the eyes. They said the ball bounced into another field and I had ‘Wilson’ imprinted on my forehead for a week.

“After that, I started to really love softball. I guess it knocked some sense into me.”

Ballard said softball is still her first love and she always expected to try to play in college. In the fall, however, Ballard got a surprise offer to play volleyball at the University of Arkansas-Monticello. She played libero for Southside, which reached the 7A State Championship match last season.

“In the locker room after the game, I wasn’t really crying, but I had tears in my eyes because I thought I had played my last volleyball game,” Ballard said. “The (UAM) coach pulled me aside and said they needed a libero and he wanted me. I was kind of shocked. But I went down to the campus for a visit and just fell in love with the campus, the community and the program.”

Another impressive statistic for Ballard is that she has never missed a game. She started her career as shortstop but had to move to second because of a recurring shoulder injury.

“I threw out my shoulder and that has been the worst one,” Ballard said. “I have sprained my ankle a few times and had a bruised-up shin, a couple of other things. But I am determined that nothing is going to keep me out of the lineup. I am stubborn like that.”

Southside (19-4, 9-0 7A-Central) has a good shot at winning the school’s first conference championship and will then go to the 7A State Tournament in Springdale.

Ballard says she plans to hang up the softball spikes after this year and concentrate on volleyball at UAM. Story says she is not so sure.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the softball coach (at UAM) tries to talk her into coming out in the spring if the volleyball coach will let her,” Story said. “And knowing Kylie, she is going to want to play. She loves the game.”